The 90-Minute Movie: Because 80 Minutes Is Too Short, and 100 Is Too Long

Normally in life, getting more for your money is a good thing. But movies aren't Pringles, and 20 percent more free isn't necessarily what you want. Even ten minutes of unnecessary screen time can cause a good, tight story to fray. I Love You, Man was funny at 104 minutes, but it would have been precisely as funny at 95. They could have cut out the entire China subplot from The Dark Knight — easily 20 of that movie's 152 convoluted minutes — with no effect on your enjoyment or comprehension of the film. And was it me, or did the fifth hour of The Curious Case of Benjamin Button start to drag?

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You've probably never walked out of a movie and said, "It was about 20 minutes too short." (Contributing editor Barry Sonnenfeld once had an 85-minute minimum written into his contract. "I'm not a fan of movies over 90 minutes, especially if I directed it," he says.) The original Rambo is an economical 91 minutes. Annie Hall is 94. So is The Road Warrior. And Easy Rider, even with the long drug sequence. Fast Times at Ridgemont High needs only 92 minutes to convey the entire high school experience. Every frame matters.

Some stories are better longer, of course. Even at three hours, The Godfather doesn't waste a millisecond. But lately too many directors are indulging themselves at the expense of your time. What they don't realize is that you might enjoy a short movie that you would hate if it were long. Say you come across Crank: High Voltage. It might be terrible, but it's only 96 minutes — which is more or less three Family Guys. So even if it is terrible, it won't really be terrible. But if it were two hours? Not worth the risk. Might as well watch Old School again. It's only 90 minutes.